Category: environmental issues

Almost a year ago Jill and I wandered through the beautiful Wellington Botanic Gardens in New Zealand appreciating unusual plants and incredible views when suddenly this sign confronted us. We were aware that whoever introduced Australian Brushtail Possums to New Zealand did not do their homework about the predator food chain and as for rats !! However poison baits in suburbia has dangerous potential. In our journey across the North Island we looked for but rarely saw dogs, certainly not running free but not on leads or in front yards . I hope this sign does not explain darker repercussions.

This is my contribution to the one a week Photo Challenge and this week for number 46 the challenge is LETTER. As the title suggests, I see this sign as an open letter of warning rather than a simple message . For this years 52 weekly challenges planned by Cathy and Sandra visit Cathy’s blog at https://nanacathydotcom.wordpress.com/one-a-week-photo-challenge-2017/

Walking the track out the back of our house in Bendigo is one of our favourite places. There is a small remaining pocket of ground where native orchids still flourish from Winter across into early Spring. These beautiful tiny plants were much more abundant everywhere in this area of The Bendigo Regional Park. However 2 severe wild fire burn offs by the State Government authorities during the last decade has all but eliminated Orchids now except in our special place that lies just at the edge of the burnt areas. We have an impressive photographic record of native orchids from this entire area dating back to the 1970’s, including a couple of species that we have not seen for 30 years. Each year we return with hope and cameras. Both these photos are taken at the same spot on the track. Charlie was trusted off lead in her mature years however Maggie must wait a while before she wanders the track independently.

Recently we visited the Grampians / Gariwerd National Park North West of Melbourne for the annual first weekend in October Spring native wildflowers exhibitions. At Pomonal the local members of the Society for Growing Australian Native Plants display flowering specimens cut from local bush gardens. These plants represent the Spring flowering plants of Southern Australia. At Halls Gap the Friends of Grampians/Gariwerd National Park display the range of flowering plants found across the park. Rangers collect specimens in the days before this weekend from the park and the friends prepare the display.

We have now regularly visited these displays across the last 12 years and always look forward to the concentrated displays of colour and the aroma of nectar. Because Maggie was with us we could not get out into the tracks of the park looking for flowering plants in their natural environments.

A rainbow lorikeet caught in the right setting and angle looks like a Paul Gauguin painting. I have shared them in a number of haiku posts but they keep demanding new appearances. This is my contribution to the one a week Photo Challenge and this week for number 43 the challenge is PAINT . For this years 52 weekly challenges planned by Cathy and Sandra visit Cathy’s blog at https://nanacathydotcom.wordpress.com/one-a-week-photo-challenge-2017/

Maggie’s muddle includes these objects plus many others. For a pup she has more possessions than any dog we know. This pictured group include Chicken Joe who Charlie brought home one day and treasured, a glove Maggie found on a footpath and insisted on keeping as well as the cricket ball, (another of Charlie’s finds) that is of particular enjoyment to Maggie. She carries it onto our wooden veranda and drops it making a loud thud then repeats the action again and again. Regardless of these toys she still prowls the house looking for things to steal and chew.

Just one of the hazards encountered on our brother and sister in laws’ bush property in the mountains East of Melbourne. They devote their entire property to the preservation of wildlife, mostly Indigenous although Deer, Foxes and cats tend to roam about. This creates quite a dilemma as they do not believe in killing any life. At times Kangaroos have become too familiar such as wandering into the garage and sitting down on armchairs. A large Brown Snake called Melissa lives under and in the roof of their dwelling. She tends to look after any mice that loiter.

Maggie has visited the bush behind our house in the Bendigo regional Park twice now. We will not let her off the lead for some time as she becomes overwhelmed with the new scents , noises and visual distractions.